I'm streaming of a white Christmas: The holiday as heard on Spotify

Updated December 10, 2015 at 8:21 PM;Posted December 10, 2015 at 8:05 PM

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey appears to be Spotify's top Christmas artist, though the service offers a lot of seasonal playlists to choose from. (Photo by Andrew Estey/Invision/AP, File)
(Photo by Andrew Estey/Invision/AP, File)

Can you hear Christmas on Spotify? Absolutely. Can you hear the definitive Christmas soundtrack on the streaming service? Well, that's tricky.

Spotify actually offers a variety of Christmas playlists under its "Genres and Moods" heading. Jazzy Christmas, Country Christmas, Soulful Christmas, Hip-Hop Christmas, Christian Christmas - take your pick. Under "Charts" they have the "Christmas 50," a weird mishmash of "this year's emerging Christmas music as discovered and rediscovered by listeners in the United States" that is updated daily.

It's a little confusing. But on Thursday, Business Insider asked for the 20 most popular Christmas songs on the service, and got back an eclectic roster: Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" squeaked in at No. 20, led by Chris Brown's "This Christmas" at 19 and Adolphson & Falk's "Mer jul" at 18. Wikipedia explains that one as the work of a Swedish synthpop band, featuring "self-ironic lyrics about Christmas obsession." That could make it essentially a Swedish synth-pop version of "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," though upon listening to it, the proposition seems like a stretch.

"Grandma" isn't on the list, which includes such unimpeachable classic artists as Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, but also Sam Smith, Wham! and Ariana Grande. Michael Buble comes in at No. 2 with "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and Mariah Carey tops the list with "All I Want for Christmas is You." Click here to see the whole list, presented with 20 video clips.

Meanwhile, that "Christmas 50" looks like something to keep a wary eye on. At a glance it seems to contain a fair share of classic covers by lesser-known artists. But there are also a number of well known acts, including Straight No Chaser, Ariana Grande, Pentatonix, Barenaked Ladies and, um, Seth MacFarlane. But on Monday night it also featured "What Child Is This" as sung by Rebecca Roubion, a Mobile native pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter in Nashville.

All clear? No? Well, find a playlist you like and stick with it. One that seems to closely reflect the spirit of the Top 20 list given to Business Insider is titled "Merry Christmas: The Best Holiday Music." It can be found in the "Holiday" category of the "Genres & Moods" section.